Sonny Jaworski enters the Ginebra dugout at halftime. #PBA2017 pic.twitter.com/5WB15XrDHm
— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) June 15, 2017
If coach Tim Cone had it his way, he’d love to have legend Robert “Sonny” Jaworski in attendance every Ginebra game.
“Boy, I just hope he comes every game,” he quipped.
Jaworski once again went to the Gin Kings dugout and rallied the troops at halftime. The Gin Kings, though, were already well ahead at halftime, 61-47, and ran away with the 125-101 victory over TNT.
Still, Cone cherishes the special attention given to them by the PBA great.
“It’s always nice to see Senator Jaworski here. You feel so much better about yourself after that. I think we lost once when he came, but we’ve played well every time he’s come. So yeah, I think it’s great for the fans that he’s here and that they could see him in the flesh, especially the young fans,” he said.
For Jaworski’s part, he shared that he didn’t say but he hoped to be the inspiration Ginebra needed to wage back from a 0-2 series deficit in the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
“Nothing really. I just said ‘let’s go, adjust a little on defense” he said.
“I think they came prepared, although they got to work more on their defense to really comeback. Honestly, I think they can do more and they can do better especially on defense. It’s just like a round robin on the other side. Meaning, there’s a lack of pressure. If they do that, they can win the next game.”
Cone is hopeful that the players took Jaworski’s words to heart as the Gin Kings seek to force a deciding Game 5 and advance to their third straight Finals appearance.
“We needed him to go there and say it on Game 4 and Game 5,” the two-time Grand Slam-winning mentor joked. “It’s nice to have him here. Hopefully, he could keep coming. His presence casts a big shadow on the team. He blocks the sun for us. He’s such a huge presence for us.”